ologists have issued a high level warning due to heavy rainfall the risk of flooding and strong winds expect Ed in the coming days how can we prepare for this situation what steps need to be taken to ensure maximum safety for all the animals on our farm we have prepared an evacuation plan and are monitoring the latest updates from the media and the meteorological office we have found an alternative stabling option for our horses in case the worst happens and we need to leave the Stables if the river levels rise the horses will need to be moved to another location it's essential to be prepared in advance to avoid dealing with the situation in panic we hope it won't be necessary to relocate the horses but it's better to be prepared for the worst we also have an adequate supply of feed we have haets set up for the horses so they have a supply of feed if high water comes we wouldn't be able to get these things ready in a hurry our phones and power banks are charged we've packed blankets horse identification documents and for 4 days worth of Feed in the car and have prepared the trailer for transport to the pre-arranged alternative staing it is necessary to have a wellth thought out route it may be too late to find transport in a crisis situation we have the advantage of having our own transporter and a car that is suitable for transporting horses and other livestock if you don't have that option save your horse rescue contacts and call ahead to your friends who are not in the area at risk and have their own Transporters and cars suitable for transporting animals it's also a good idea to prepare for these situations throughout the year in times of emergency you'll appreciate it if your horses can get into the cart quickly so you don't have to stress about the problem of loading the animal the day before we prepared The Stables so the horses could take shelter from the rain and wind they were already quite wet so we decided to blanket them the pasture is quite wet after heavy rain and even though the horses have shelter it will was not enough to keep them warm the combination of strong winds and intense rain plus the big temperature difference made them pretty cold already although they are a Hardy breed the best solution for these days is to keep them confined in a box where they are dry warm and safe this way they have enough Comfort to survive this adverse situation the chickens were Grazing In movable coups on the grass but such heavy rain and a significant drop in temperature temperature could be fatal for them so we moved them into the warmth of the stable the adult hens have a warm Coupe and the option to shelter as they wish so they remain on their normal routine they can find themselves the most comfortable place to weather the storm they like to spend their time in the cow shelter or in the Lee of the orchard we've noticed that if they're cooped up it just stresses them out as do the Ducks depending on the weather we'll see if we need to adjust their routine but hopefully it won't be necessary we moved our dogs and cat home they are used to being outside for 24 hours a day but currently there is persistent rain and strong winds on the farm and the temperatures have dropped to very low so we are keeping them dry and warm at home our other livestock such as rabbits small chickens are also provided it's important to remember to replenish water and food for all of them so that they have enough because the electricity can go out and that can be a problem at our farm we have a petrol generator for electricity that can be used in this inclement weather it should always be tested to see if it is fully functional and remember to have enough fuel to keep it running for at least 2 to 3 days the cows were in a large pasture but their mobile shelter is not sufficient for this weather it is ideal for hot days when they need shade but since it it is made only from Texas boxes they would be exposed to the rain so we move them to a smaller area with a permanent shelter where they can stay dry and eat their hay in pee the adult Cows and Bulls are used to being locked up and it's good to show the animals this during the year to teach them that the shelter is a good place where good things happen where there is interesting food and therefore worth going to we try to get the animals used to these situations so that they don't have unnecessary stress the little calves don't know it so we've had to make it more difficult for them we are expecting very strong winds so we have checked the whole farm and cleared away any loose objects that could float up and injure someone in high winds we also went through and secured all the windows and doors at the stables and barns to prevent them from coming loose and being destroyed as part of our quest for self-sufficiency we grow our own vegetables in a greenhouse which also needs to be secured we'll close all four skylights and the door we're worried about heavy hail because the glass panes could break in case of a power outage we prepared firewood to heat our home in the stove because the weather outside is cold at the same time we can cook food tea or coffee on our stove it's good to have that option because a power outage is not an uncommon situation it is possible that branches and trees will fall during long and persistent rain water logged soil and strong winds we have prepared and tested a chainsaw and safety equipment such as a helmet and gloves just in case of course we also have a canister where petrol and oil are in the right proportion we failed to clean the gutters of the roofs before the heavy rain this turned out to be quite a big problem and we had to do it during The Heavy Rain which was not pleasant however we had to do it because because the clogged gutters full of leaves did not drain well draining the gutters was important as we had water running into the Stables which could mean they would be flooded and we would have to resort to an evacuation plan there has been an overwhelming wave of solidarity and offers on Facebook for everyone in the most affected areas it's breathtaking to see how many kind-hearted people there are thank you all we are keeping our fingers crossed for everyone and hope you get through through this situation safely and in good health m